Equities Analysts Offer Predictions for UNH FY2026 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research projects FY2026 EPS of $20.54 for UnitedHealth, slightly below the $20.62 consensus estimate, and maintains a “Hold” rating.
• UnitedHealth recently exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $4.69 EPS versus $4.14 expected and $112.70 billion in revenue, while issuing FY2026 guidance of approximately $20.50 EPS.
• Despite mixed analyst views, broader sentiment remains positive: UNH has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating from 28 analysts and an average price target of $463.93.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research issued their FY2026 EPS estimates for shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report issued on Tuesday, October 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team anticipates that the healthcare conglomerate will post earnings per share of $20.54 for the year. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group's current full-year earnings is $20.62 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for UnitedHealth Group's Q1 2027 earnings at $6.98 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $5.05 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $4.64 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $6.59 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $6.68 EPS and Q3 2028 earnings at $6.53 EPS.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.14 by $0.55. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.53% and a return on equity of 17.95%. The firm had revenue of $112.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $111.31 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.59 EPS. The business's revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on UNH. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $450.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Barclays cut their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $441.00 to $440.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $516.00 to $524.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, October 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $467.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $463.93.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 0.9%

UNH opened at $406.81 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $389.32 and a 200 day moving average of $361.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. UnitedHealth Group has a 12 month low of $255.96 and a 12 month high of $461.62. The firm has a market cap of $365.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.60.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth $245,516,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,444,928,000. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth $2,019,844,000. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 76,863,061 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $31,946,594,000 after buying an additional 3,395,530 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth $971,757,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total transaction of $455,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 15,328 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,977,920. The trade was a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 14th were given a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.00%.

More UnitedHealth Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Long-term earnings estimates increased. Zacks Research raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $23.29 from $22.28 and its FY2028 estimate to $26.60 from $25.74, signaling improved expectations for UnitedHealth’s future profitability.
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley lifted its price target. The firm increased its target to $531 from $529 and maintained an “Overweight” rating, implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. Morgan Stanley Adjusts Price Target on UnitedHealth Group
• Neutral Sentiment: Near-term estimates were mixed. Zacks raised its Q2 2027 EPS forecast to $6.62 from $6.35, but slightly reduced its Q4 2026 estimate to $2.24 from $2.25. Zacks continues to rate UNH “Hold,” indicating limited conviction despite stronger longer-term projections.
• Neutral Sentiment: Fraud-prevention collaboration highlights operational opportunities. UnitedHealth and Codoxo plan to present AI-based methods for identifying healthcare fraud beyond traditional claims data. The initiative could support payment integrity and cost control, though it is not expected to materially affect near-term results. Codoxo and UnitedHealth Group fraud presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Investor uncertainty remains elevated. A law firm is soliciting shareholders over allegations concerning potential insider fiduciary-duty violations. The notice does not establish wrongdoing, but such announcements can add reputational and legal-risk concerns. UnitedHealth shareholder legal notice
• Negative Sentiment: Industry margin pressure remains a concern. A comparison with Molina Healthcare points to elevated medical costs and membership-related pressure across managed-care companies, factors that could weigh on UnitedHealth’s near-term margins even as its recent earnings exceeded expectations. Molina Healthcare versus Elevance Health and UnitedHealth

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated NYSE: UNH is a diversified health care company that provides health insurance coverage, health care services, pharmacy services and health technology. Its businesses serve individuals, employers, government programs, health care providers and other organizations, primarily in the United States.

The company operates through two principal businesses. UnitedHealthcare offers health benefit plans and related services for employers, individuals, families and government-sponsored programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

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